I finally caught the CNW power only train. 8646, 8575, and 8701 was the train. I wanted to see it in West Chicago, but their was a coal train blocking it. I tried to get it through the cars, but couldn’t. So I drove to County farm rd. only to find another coal train blocking the train. So I take Manhine, or something like that, to Wheaton. I then saw it, and took pictures of it. what I didn’t know was that the shutter speed was set to 120 on a cloudy day. So I kept chasing until Lombard, but everytime I would get a shot of the train, another train with simple UP power, accept the train with the SD50, was blocking it. I won and got screwed at the same time. I will post the pictures on rrpicturearchives.net soon. First I have to resize them. I had to lighten them alot, so they look very, very bad.
Congratulations!
When I first saw the thread I though you were talking about the 3300 [:P]
I thought you were talking about the flu!!!
Those three CNW unit’s travel alot on the CNW line alot. They have been in Council Bluffs alot.
Andrew you will always remember the day you finally tracked those units down. Its the exciting thrill of the hunt and capture that does it. BE CAREFUL in your chasing, remember its only a hobby. Been there done that.
That train departed Clinton at 7 AM and it went through Rochelle at 8:31 AM. I can’t remember…was this Sunday or Saturday.
Wish I had the free time to watch for them to go by.[:(]
Thanks yall.
miniwyo: ha ha
SSW9389: I know it is a hobby. It is just that I have been looking at this train for a while, so when i saw it hidden behind a boring coal train in West Chicag, the first thought that came through my head was, “I am not letting this one fly…”
He made good time, all right–I was watching the reports, and his ETA in Proviso kept moving up. We caught him in Elmhurst at close to noon.
Well, I got to drive them! Yep, i was the engineer on that train you saw…!
Just Kidding, Not until next year, but nice catch.
I thought you meant maybe all the heritage units all at once or maybe the new ones…lol
Congrats on seeing them cool old units! I bet it feels great to have witnessed history! . They keep elluding me! But I will win yet!
Not to be clueless, but what are we taking about?
The last three locomotives painted (and also not UP-patched) for Chicago & North Western, merged into Union Pacific in 1995. Two C44-9Ws and a C40-8. I’ve been hoping to catch them sometime myself…
Here is the big help. The Rochelle wwebcam is the best thing that ever happened to me. I did the math, and it all added up. Here is the facts…
It takes a UP train heading to Chicago from Rochelle 3 hours. My suggestion if go get thsir a half an hour early, just to set up.
It takes a BNSF train from Rochelle to Downers Grove 1-3 hours.
It takes a UP train from West Chicago to Rochelle 1 OR 4 hours, depending on the track it is running on.
It takes a BNSF train from Berwyn to Rochelle about 1 OR 3 OR 4 hours, depending on Aurora traffic.